Mandzukic scores double as Juve down Napoli
MILAN: Mario Mandzukic scored twice as Juventus secured an important 3-1 victory over 10-man Serie A title rivals Napoli at the Allianz Stadium.
A seventh straight win for Massimiliano Allegri’s side means they are now six points clear of second-place Napoli – a lead that could be reduced to five on Sunday should Sassuolo continue their fine start to the season by beating AC Milan.
Napoli took an early lead through Dries Mertens, before Cristiano Ronaldo and Mandzukic combined to equalise. The World Cup finalist scored again early in the second half after Ronaldo’s shot had cannoned back off the post.
Mario Rui was dismissed in the 58th minute for the visitors before Leonardo Bonucci scored his first goal for the club since returning from Milan in August to seal the win 14 minutes from time.
Earlier, Lorenzo Pellegrini came off the bench and lifted Roma to a 3-1 win over bitter city rivals Lazio to revive his side’s stumbling start to the season.
Eusebio Di Francesco’s team had plunged into crisis after a 2-0 defeat to Bologna, but have now claimed consecutive wins for the first time this season after their 4-0 victory over Frosinone in midweek.
The win ended Lazio’s four-match winning streak in Serie A and lifts Di Francesco’s side into fifth just behind their city rivals with 11 points from seven games.
“We reacted as men today, which was what I had asked for,” said Di Francesco. Pellegrini came on after 35 minutes in place of Argentine Javier Pastore who hobbled off with a suspected calf injury.
And the 22-year-old transformed the must-win match in the Italian capital, opening the scoring just before half-time with a back-heel flick.
Lazio ace Ciro Immobile missed a chance for the equaliser moments later, but made no mistake after 67 minutes with an angled drive following a howler by Roma’s Argentine defender Federico Fazio.
But minutes later Aleksandar Kolarov fired Roma ahead again after Pellegrini won a free kick which the Serb sent through the Lazio wall, to achieve the rare exploit of scoring for both Roma and former team Lazio, in 2009.
Fazio made up for his earlier error with Roma’s third goal, heading a Pellegrini free kick into the far top corner four minutes from time.
Di Francesco’s side take on Czech club Plzen in the Champions League game on Tuesday.